Holiday Spirit
by ArtFreak101
Summary: Yahf. Arriving late to the costume shop, pickings were slim for Xander. But still, it was festive, right?


DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, yadda, yadda, yadda. Depressing, isn't it?

**This is just a passing story idea that came and went. Didn't much care for how it came out but it got rid of the stray plot bunny.**

Xander groaned. He hadn't come strait to the costume shop with Buff and Will because he wanted to grab a few extra bucks before hand. Sure, he was only planning to buy a toy rifle to go with his old fatigues back home. But he had no idea what the prices were at this new place. And if he wanted a toy rifle that wasn't a blue squirt gun, he might have to pay a little more than two dollars.

It was expensive. It would destroy his rein as the two dollar costume king. But in the end it would be worth it. It brought him back to his childhood days. He loved to pretend. That is, he loved to pretend to be someone else. Anyone else.

He was gone an extra hour at most. Yet it seemed an hour was enough. A good portion of the costume shop was already sold out. There weren't any toy rifles left. There weren't any toy guns left.

With another groan, he dragged his feet around the costume shop. Looking at all the pieces of costumes missing, bought, whatever. On the far wall were all the kiddy costumes of ghosts, werewolves and vampires. He'd fought enough of the ghoulies that he sure as hell didn't want to dress as one.

"Can I help you?"

Xander just about leapt out of his skin at the words spoken directly behind him and out of sight. He was amazed he didn't pull a stake and spin around at him. "Do yourself a favor; please don't do that around here." He said as he turned around at a more sedate pace.

"Sorry." The voice belonged to a middle aged English man. "You know, your not the first person to tell me that either. Darned if I understand why though. Name's Ethan." The man put out a hand.

"Xander." He shook his hand. Funny, the guy kind of reminded him of the G-man. "And no, I don't think you can help me. What I came looking for is already gone and everything else looks to be already sold out."

"What were you looking for?" Ethan enquired.

"A toy rifle."

Ethan nodded. "You'd be right. I sold all out of toy guns." He watched as Xander's shoulders drooped. "There aren't many costumes left in your size. But what is left I placed on the racks next to the counter. Find something you like and I'll cut you a deal."

Xander smiled in gratitude. Sure, he might be getting a crappy costume. But he'd be getting a cheap deal on it. The two dollar costume kind just might live on. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me until you find something you like, my boy." Ethan pointed toward the counter.

Nodding, he went over toward the counter and looked at the two racks. Admittedly, there wasn't much. And worse, most of them seemed to be for women. He sighed and dropped his shoulders again when a bright splash of red caught his eye on the rack.

He looked at the costume dubiously. "You're joking, right?"

"Am I?" Ethan questioned while grinning and holding up an accompanying piece.

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Xander frowned, unaware of the affect it had on his make up and rubber mask applied face. His being late had almost made him late for his appointment with the kiddies. Snyder was on him enough as it was. So he hadn't time to stop at Buffy's house and show his costume.

Hopefully Buffy took his advice and went for the spandex. Willow he already knew had picked up a ghost costume. She did every year since she was like six or seven.

He looked at his assortment of kids. Most of which all grinned at him. At least they knew who he was. Most of the adults just gave him confused and slightly worried looks.

"Alright kiddies!" He cackled and made exaggerated movements toward them. "I will now divulge the secret to making extra candies on this extra special night."

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"How did I get here?" He wondered aloud after the spell washed over the town. "Its not Christmas or Halloween last I checked." And yet all around him were the festivities of Halloween.

He frowned. And why did he feel so short? Stretching himself, he heard the snap of several bones and was surprised by a momentary pain but shrugged it off as it vanished just as quickly.

Little ghosts, ghouls, demons, zombies and vampires gathered around him joyously. He grinned at them all. "Halloween it seems has come early this year. Come children! Let us… festivate! Ho ho- hahaha _hehehehehe!"_

Insane cackling would echo through the town all night that night.

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Giles leaned back in his chair and rubbed his glasses the next morning. Willow had come to him early last night explaining what was going on with everyone's Halloween costumes.

While he had been suspicious about the name Ethan, the place where many had gotten their costume, when he had gone to the costume shop, he had found nothing. No one was there. Although the door to the shop had been left open. He had no real leads as to who could have done.

That morning, he saw the entire town was afraid of something. Wondering if the truth of last night had finally overcome them, he questioned them about vampires, werewolves and demons. He'd gotten crazy looks from them too.

It wasn't normal Hellmouth activity that had overcome them. Their selective memory in regards to the night life of the town seemed undisturbed. So what could instill fear in an entire town? The look they gave each other said they knew, but would not speak.

Add to that, Xander was still missing.

"_Ripper."_

Giles nearly fell out of his seat with a startled yelp. Jumping up, he reached for the nearest weapon. Wary of anyone who knew him by that name.

A figure stepped out from behind a bookshelf that shouldn't have been able to hide him. For an unknown reason, he felt his fears rise higher than they had at some of the demons he'd summoned in his youth.

That was when it struck him.

"Xander?" He asked in a state of shock.

"Giles."

The young man was now over seven feet tall. His skin, his muscles, even his bones had a stretched quality to them. It looked as though someone might look like after being strung on a rack and left in a sealed tomb for a hundred years. Dry and sunken in.

Oddly he was dressed in a Santa Clause costume. But his eyes were sunken into his skull. And his skin was so dry and stretched around his skull that he looked to have a permanent grin.

"Surprised, aren't you?" Xander seemed to grin impossibly further. And spoke with what could only be controlled glee in his voice.

The fear was still everywhere around him. He was shaking slightly as Xander, or perhaps what used to be Xander stepped up to him. Invading any personal space that might have once existed.

"Wha- what…"

"What am I?" Xander supplied and bent down slightly to stare Giles in the face; something that unnerved Giles even further. And something that Giles suspected he was doing on purpose.

"You ever hear of Jack Skelington?" Xander posed the question.

Giles could only shake his head negatively amidst the shaking he was already doing against his desk.

"He was a character in a movie." Xander explained. "Although the character was created in image of another. Perhaps you've heard of Pumpkin Jack?"

The fear that had overwhelming Giles disappeared as amazement and realization took over. "You dressed as the spirit of Halloween."

"Right you are!" Xander's grin now completely overtook his face. And Giles couldn't see how his skin hadn't completely torn away. "Janus summoned my spirit here, but he had forgotten, in this town… _I RULE."_

Xanders grin now disappeared from his face and it became a terrible visage to behold that had Giles trembling again where he stood. Xander flexed a bony fist in his face.

"I am now an undying. One day I shall rid myself of this shell." He seemed to be looking at the skin stretched across his arm and fist. "I no longer have need of material things. _Fear _feeds me."

The grin returned to his face in full force. "Fear of all things. Plants, animals, demons, vampires, and humans alike." He looked toward Giles. "Just thought I would warn you. Sunny Hell is about to become a lot more interesting!"

"_Hehehehe-hahahahahahahaha!"_ An insane cackle and Xander stepped behind the bookshelf he'd stepped out from behind earlier. Giles rushed after him, but found only a patch of shadows.

He swallowed a large lump in his throat. "Bloody Hell."

**To FIN or not to FIN?**

**FIN.**

**It's something I don't think I've seen done before. So I gave it a shot. Leaves a lot to be desired though.**


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